A prewar development of the He 51 design was the He 52, which evolved from earlier experiments with a single He 51B 3. This had larger span wings, and was intended for high-altitude flying. Two prototypes were built and test flown: the He 52B landplane and the He 52D floatplane. There was no series production of this type, and the proposed He 52E high altitude fighter remained no more than a project.
The He 51 originated from three prototype He 49 biplanes designed by Walter and Siegfried Gunter. Although unarmed, there could be no doubt that the He 49a, a small machine with a 750 hp BMW VI engine, had basic fighter potential, with a top speed of approximately 320 km/h (200 mph).
The high performance of all these aircraft during tests prompted a fourth prototype, refined even further and lighter in weight by Walter and Siegfried Gunter, and this received the new designation He 51a. It was a single seat open cockpit fighter, retaining the same powerplant as the He 49 and of an all metal framework with a mainly fabric covering. Armament comprised two 7.9 mm (0.311 in) MG 17 machine guns in a fairing over the engine, firing through the disc of the two blade propeller. Its potential so impressed the German air ministry that an initial order for ten pre-production aircraft was placed before the end of 1933.
The He 51 was of unequal-span single-bay biplane configuration. The single seat for the pilot was in a cockpit just aft of the wings, and a cut-out in the centre-section of the upper wing was made to enhance the pilot’s field of view. Power plant comprised a BMW 12-cylinder in-line engine, and adoption of a minimum cowled section provided a bluff, square look to the fuselage nose. Wheel landing gear of the He 51A was neat and functional, that of the He 51B clean for a float installation.
The first of nine He 51A 0 pre-production fighters flew in May 1934. These were followed from April 1935 by the He 51A 1 initial production model, which in mid 1935 formed the first He 51 unit of the new Luftwaffe, I/JG 132 ‘Richthofen’. A total of 150 A 1s were built for squadron service (75 each by Heinkel and Arado).
In January 1935 the structurally improved He 51B 0 appeared, of which 12 were built for pre-production trials. They had a more robust wheeled landing gear and were able to carry a 170 litre (37 Imp gal) auxiliary drop-¬tank under the fuselage. From 1936 the similar He 51B-1 with a jettisonable ventral tank 450 including 46 He 51B-2 floatplanes), and the He 51C ground-attack fighter 79 C-1 and 21 C-2 variants with improved radio).
As early as 6 August 1936 an initial batch of six He 5lBs arrived by sea at Cadiz, Spain, and eventually some 135 such aircraft were delivered to Spain for use by German ‘volunteer’ pilots, Nationalist pilots and finally by the Legion Condor, created in November 1936 as the parent organisation for German air assets in Spain, including Jagdgruppe 88 with two He 51 B Staffeln. By Au¬gust 12, the Heinkels were flying from Seville with German pilots, and by Au¬gust 18, with Spaniards as well. When German air components in Spain were consoli¬dated as the Condor Legion in Novem¬ber 1936, the Heinkel He 51B fighters were formed into JagdIgruppe 88, in four StaffeIn, each with 12 aircraft: 1st Staffel (Marabou Stork); 2nd Staffel (Top Hat); 3rd Staffel (Mickey Mouse); 4th Staffel (Ace of Spades). The German fighter was successful against the miscellany of mainly French fighters flown by the Republicans in 1936 and early 1937, but during 1937 was steadily outclassed by the 1-15 and 1-16 fighters supplied by the USSR. Thereafter the He 51 B was relegated to ground-attack with the Germans and the Nationalists’ 1-G-2 and 4-G-2. Messerschmitt Bf 109s gradually replaced the He 51Bs in Jagdgruppe 88; the Germans sent the withdrawn aircraft to Nationalist squadrons who formed Attack Group 1G2 (Squadrons 1E2 and 2E2).
By June 1938, the few surviving Heinkels were combined with newly arrived He 51C 1s (which could carry 200 kilograms of bombs) in Attack Group 4G2, which served until the war’s end.
A further 100 were ordered from Fieseler, adapted to carry six 10 kg (22 lb) bombs. Designated He 51C 1 (79 built) and C 2 (21 built) they suffered some loss of performance due to the extra weight and drag of the bombload, but continued to show an ability to take considerable punishment in combat. The Luftwaffe also switched its He 51s to the ground attack role during the late stages of their service life, arming them with four or six small fragmentation bombs. From 1937 onwards, these aircraft were used to develop ground attack tactics which were later em¬ployed by the Luftwaffe during the Second World War. Some He 51s, mainly the land¬plane versions, served into the war years as fighter trainers, but were finally phased out during 1942 43.
Considerably hotter than types the still undercover Luftwaffe pilots were used to, the He 51 was never overly successful, its service career being cut short due to combat experience gained in Spain and by the appearance of Arado’s Ar 68. Kustenjagdstaffeln, coastal defence fighter units, began taking delivery of float equipped He 51B 2s in 1936.
A total of 725 were built.
He 51A-0
He 51A-1
He 51B-1
Engine: 1 x BMWVI 7.3Z, 559kW (750 hp).
Span: 11m (36ft 1 in)
Length: 8.4m (27 ft 6.75 in)
Height: 3.20 m / 10 ft 6 in
Wing area: 27.20 sq.m / 292.78 sq ft
Max T/O weight: 1900 kg (4,189 lb)
Empty weight: 1460 kg / 3219 lb
Max speed: 205 mph / 330 km/h at sea level.
Operational range: 354 miles / 570 km
Ceiling: 7700 m / 25250 ft
Armament: 2 x 7.92-mm (0.312-in) mg, up to 6×10-kg (22-lb) bombs external
Crew: 1
He 51B-2
He 51C
He 51C-1
He 51C-2
Wishing to contend in early 1931 for an Imperial Japanese navy requirement for a two-seat carrier-based dive bomber, Aichi requested Heinkel to design and build an aircraft to meet the navy’s specification.
Required for operation with float or wheel landing gear, the resulting Heinkel He 50 prototype He 50aW flew for the first time in mid 1931, powered by a 390 hp Junkers L 5 engine. It had a twin float undercarriage and was designed to meet the naval requirement for a marine aircraft with a 250-¬500kg (550 1100 lb) bombload capacity. A second version was built with wheel landing gear.
The Japanese requirement was pursued through the modified He 50b prototype. This went to Japan in early 1933 (with the ‘export’ designation He 66), where it entered production as the Aichi D1A, of which 590 were built between 1936 40.
The He 50 was a two seat biplane of sturdy construction, but the Junkers engine was not nearly powerful enough, and the second prototype was fitted with a Siemens Bramo 322B (Bristol Jupiter VI) 490 hp powerplant. This aircraft had a wheeled undercarriage which could, however, readily be replaced by floats. Designated He 50aL, it was delivered to the military aircraft test centre at Rechlin, where it was considered to be underpowered, and three more He 50aL prototypes, fitted with uncowled 600 hp BMW SAM 22B nine cylinder radial engines, were completed in mid 1932.
After demonstration to the RVM (predecessor to the RLM, or German aviation ministry) a production order for 25 He 50As was placed for the Luftwafre. This total was later increased to 60, the second batch of 35 being built by Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW). They were armed with a single, fixed 7.9 mm (0. 311 in) MG 17 machine gun operated by the pilot, with a movable MG 15 gun on a ring in the rear cockpit. The Luftwaffe aircraft were employed as trainers, although during 1935 36 they were flown as single seater dive bombers.
Two batches of He 66s were ordered from Heinkel by China: 12 similar to the He 50b, and 12 patterned on the He 50A. Only the former batch were delivered, the latter being requisitioned and put into Luftwaffe service as He 50Bs.
Luftwaffe He 50A remained operational on the Eastern Front until 1944. Maximum level speed was 235km/h and armament comprised one forward-firing 7.9mm MG 17 or one rear-mounted MG 15 machine-gun (dive-bomber and reconnaissance types respectively), plus up to 500kg of bombs.
He-50
Engine: 1 x Bramo SAM 322, 440kW
Max take-off weight: 2620 kg / 5776 lb
Empty weight: 1756 kg / 3871 lb
Wingspan: 11.5 m / 37 ft 9 in
Length: 9.6 m / 31 ft 6 in
Height: 4.4 m / 14 ft 5 in
Wing area: 34.8 sq.m / 374.58 sq ft
Max. speed: 235 km/h / 146 mph
Cruise speed: 190 km/h / 118 mph
Range w/max.fuel: 600 km / 373 miles
Armament: 1 machine-gun
Crew: 1-2
He 50A 2 landplane
Span: 11.5 m (37 ft 8.75 in)
Length: 9.6 m (31 ft 6 in)
Gross weight: 2620 k (5775 lb)
Maximum speed: 235 km/h (146 mph).
The He 51 originated from three prototype He 49 biplanes designed by Walter and Siegfried Gunter. Although unarmed, the He 49a, a small machine with a 750 hp BMW VI engine, had basic fighter potential, with a top speed of approximately 320 km/h (200 mph). The He 49a flew for the first time in November 1932; the second prototype, the He 49b, flew in February 1933 and had a fuselage 40 cm (15.7 in) longer, and was later converted to twin float configuration; a third prototype, the He 49c, had a wheeled undercarriage with leg and wheel fairings.
The high performance of all these aircraft during tests prompted a fourth prototype, refined even further and lighter in weight, and this received the new designation He 51a.
He 49b
Crew: 1
Engine: 1 x 690hp BMW VI 6,0
Max take-off weight: 1950 kg / 4299 lb
Wingspan: 11.00 m / 36 ft 1 in
Length: 8.24 m / 27 ft 0 in
Height: 3.50 m / 12 ft 6 in
Wing area: 27.70sq.m / 298.16 sq ft
Max. speed: 325 km/h / 202 mph
Cruise speed: 285 km/h / 177 mph
Rate of climb: 606 m/min / 2000 ft/min
Armament: 2 x 7.9mm machine-guns
During the early 1930s, the German military was beginning to build up in strength – the RLM (German Air Ministry) wanted aircraft that could be rapidly built and would be able to swell the Luftwaffe’s inventory with large numbers of aircraft for training. Ernst Heinkel designed many of these early aircraft, with the He 46 being created to fill this short-range reconnaissance and army co-operation role for the Luftwaffe.
The prototype flew for the first time toward the end of 1931. Although following the general Heinkel biplane configuration it did have an abnormally large upper wing with marked sweepback and a very small lower wing. It was otherwise a conventional biplane, with a mixed construction consisting of metal framework and fabric covering, and a slightly swept back (10°) upper wing, powered by a 450hp Siemens-built Bristol Jupiter radial engine. The tailplane was mounted high and braced by struts. The undercarriage was fixed, and the tail was fitted with a skid rather than a wheel. The observer’s view of the ground was considerably restricted and the aircraft was subsequently altered to a parasol monoplane design by removing the lower wing and increasing the span of the upper by 2.5 m (8 ft 2.5 in) and braced to the fuselage with strut-braces: the second prototype, the He 46B was built to this design (overall the upper wing area was increased by 22%). Both machines were initially powered by the Siemens built 450 hp Bristol Jupiter engine, but trials proved that this had insufficient capacity and in 1932 the 650 hp Siemens SAM 22B nine cylinder radial was installed. This was considered satisfactory during trials on the third (and first preproduction) aircraft, the He 45C, which was equipped with radio and fitted with a 7.9 mm (0.311 in) MG 15 machine gun in the observer’s rear cockpit. The He46b first flew in early 1932.
By 1934, the He 46C had been ordered in sufficiently large numbers to improve the now rapidly expanding Luftwaffe. Production began with the He 46C-1 in 1933. This was similar to the 46c, but with the ability to carry either a camera or 440lb of small bombs under the rear cockpit. The He 46C-1, similar to the He 46C but having a bay beneath the observer’s cockpit to carry photographic equipment or up to 20 10 kg (22 lb) bombs.
Heinkel’s order book for 1933 included 478 of these aircraft, including exports to Hungary and Bulgaria, and in order to fulfil these obligations licence production was undertaken by Siebel Flugzeugwerke (159 C 1s), MIAG (83 C, E and F series), Gothaer Waggonfabrik at Gotha (24 CA/C 2s), and the Fieseler Flug-zeugwerke (12 C Is). Two hundred (194 of which were C 1s) were built at Heinkel’s Warnernfinde factory, in addition to the three prototypes.
A prototype conversion of the He 46C-1 in 1934 was made for the D series, with only minor improvements over its predecessors. This was followed by six pre-production C-1 conversions to the He 46D-0s, with a number of minor changes. One D 1, fitted with the NACA engine cowling and designated He 46e, became the prototype for the E series. Built for the Luftwaffe in E 1, 2 and 3 variants, they differed slightly in equipment installations, but the 2 was the only one to be fitted with an engine cowling that increased maximum speed by 16mph but that made maintenance rather more difficult and was often removed. An He 46C fitted with a 560 hp Armstrong Siddeley Panther cowled engine became the prototype (He 46f) for a new unarmed observer trainer series F 1 and 2 (14 built).
The original total of 478 ordered had been completed by 1936 when production ceased, but a few continued into Second World War service, until eventually replaced in the short range reconnaissance role by Henschel Hs 126s. Some of those remaining during the war were in service with Nachtschlachtgruppen (night attack groups) on the Russian Front, along with their Hungarian counterparts.
By the time production finished in 1936 the He 46 was the main equipment of the Luftwaffe’s Auflärungsstaffeln (H), but early in 1938, at the time of the Ilmavoimat’s evaluation, it had begun to be replaced by the Henschel Hs 126A-1. As such, the aircraft was cheap and readily available and there had already been export sales to Bulgaria and Hungary (eighteen He 46C-2s (C-1s but with engine cowling) were sold to Bulgaria, while Hungary purchased a number of He 47E-2s.
The Bulgarian batch of 18 aircraft were designated He 46C¬2, and fitted with a NACA engine cowling, which increased the maximum speed by 26 km/h (16 mph). Hungarian aircraft were designated He 46E 2, and gave useful service as late as 1942 43, in bombing operations and as attack aircraft against the USSR. In Sep¬tember 1936, during the civil war, 20 He 46C¬1s had also been sent to Spain.
At the time the Ilmavoimat / Maavoimat evaluation team looked at the He 46, it was already largely phased out of front-line service with the Luftwaffe. The aircraft were offered for sale “as is” at an attractive per-unit cost far below any of the newer aircraft on the market and available. Serious consideration was in fact given to this offer, particularly as delivery was immediate.
A few were still in use in September 1939 two units were still equipped with the He 46 at this stage), and saw service in Poland. By the time Germany invaded France in 1940, all He 46 aircraft had been withdrawn from operational service, although they did continue service in training units. A final period of front-line service came in 1943, when a shortage of more suitable aircraft meant that the Luftwaffe was forced to take the aircraft from the training units and used a number of He 46s on night harassment missions on the Eastern Front. The He 46 saw service in Spain, twenty He 46C-1s given to the Spanish Nationalists in September 1938. The Hungarian aircraft took part in the invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, equipping the 1st Short-Range Reconnaissance Squadron, and with the 3/2 Short-Range Reconnaissance Squadron in 1942. The Hungarian aircraft were also used as bombers, before being replaced with the Focke-Wulfe 189 during 1943.
He-46C
Engine: 1 x Bramo SAM 322, 480kW
Max take-off weight: 2300 kg / 5071 lb
Empty weight: 1765 kg / 3891 lb
Wingspan: 14.0 m / 45 ft 11 in
Length: 9.5 m / 31 ft 2 in
Height: 3.4 m / 11 ft 2 in
Wing area: 32.2 sq.m / 346.60 sq ft
Max. speed: 260 km/h / 162 mph
Cruise speed: 220 km/h / 137 mph
Ceiling: 6000 m / 19700 ft
Range w/max.fuel: 1000 km / 621 miles
Armament: 1 x 7.9mm machine-guns
Crew: 2
He 46C-1
Engine: amo 322B (SAM 22B), 485kW (650 hp).
Span: 14m (45ft 11.25 in)
Length: 9.5m (3l ft 2in).
Max T/O weight: 2300 kg (5,071 lb)
Max speed: 161 mph at 2,625 ft.
Operational range: 615 miles.
Armament: 1 x 7.92-mm (0.312-in) mg, up to 200 kg (440 lb) external
He 46D
He 46E
He 46F
Engine: Armstrong Siddeley Panther, 418-kW (560-hp)
By 1931 the German aircraft industry had become less secretive in referring to its potential military designs as ‘training’ or ‘sporting’ aircraft. The He 45 was one of the first post 1919 aircraft to be built openly and specifically for military use. Following the basic Heinkel biplane design the prototype, designated He 45A (D-2477), flew for the first time in spring 1932, with a 600 hp BMW VI engine driving a two blade wooden propeller. It was unarmed, but sufficiently powerful to carry armament and a bombload. Sturdily constructed, the He 45 had twin tandem cockpits and was well suited for training duties. The second prototype was fitted with a four blade propeller, and production of the A series began in 1932. These unarmed aircraft had 660 hp engines and were used as trainers.
A third prototype developed into the armed He 45B series, which had one movable MG 15 7.9 mm (0.311 in) machine gun and one fixed 7.9 mm MG 17 and could carry a 200 kg (440 1b) bombload.
Many different versions were produced, including at least 11 testbeds. Structurally all were similar, using the contemporary mixed wood and metal framework, which was fabric covered. Ailerons were fitted on both upper and lower wings.
Total production was 512 aircraft, although Heinkel produced only 69 of these, including prototypes. The remainder were built under licence: by Focke Wulf (159 A 1 and A 2 series and 60 He 4513 1/13 2s); 126 AA/A 2s and 30 W1/B 2s by the Bayerische Flugzeug¬werke (BFW); and Gotha built 68 of the C series. Heinkel’s own somewhat smaller production total included many aircraft used only for test purposes, including trials with various BMW powerplants and the Daimler-Benz DB 600. In addition, a small export batch of He 45Bs was built for China, which had the separate designation He 61.
Although not a very noteworthy aeroplane in itself, the He 45 was in service in greater numbers than any other Luftwaffe type by 1936, and greatly assisted the development of the Luftwalle as a fighting force. Production totalled 512 aircraft. It also formed the basis of later and better known designs from the Heinkel company. The He 45C partially equipped Aufklarungsstallel A/88, the reconnaissance element of the German manned Legion Kondor in the Spanish Civil War, and 40 were delivered to a close support group of the rebel Spanish Nationalist air force, by whom it was nick-named Pavo (turkey). Only 21 remained in Luftwaffe service at the start of the Second World War, on reconnaissance or training duties, though temporary use was made of some in 1942 43 as night ‘nuisance’ raiders on the Russian Front.
He-45B
Engine: 1 x BMW-VI-J32, 550kW
Max take-off weight: 2745 kg / 6052 lb
Empty weight: 2105 kg / 4641 lb
Wingspan: 11.5/10.0 m / 37 ft 9 in / 32 ft 10 in
Length: 10.0 m / 32 ft 10 in
Height: 3.6 m / 11 ft 10 in
Wing area: 34.6 sq.m / 372.43 sq ft
Max. speed: 290 km/h / 180 mph
Cruise speed: 230 km/h / 143 mph
Ceiling: 5500 m / 18050 ft
Range w/max.fuel: 1200 km / 746 miles
Armament: 2 x 7.9mm machine-guns
Crew: 2
He 45B-2
Engine: BMW V1, 750 hp / 559kW
He45C
Span: 11.5 m
Length: 10 m
Gross weight: 2745 kg
Maximum speed: 290 kh
The He 14 biplane designed as a torpedo carrier in 1925 had proved unsuccessful, for the lack of a suit-able powerplant, but in 1927 a three seat monoplane development appeared as the He 7. Powered by a 450 hp Bristol Jupiter VI engine, it showed more promise than its precursor.
The Heinkel HE 12 was a pontoon-equipped mail plane built in Germany in 1929, designed to be launched by catapult from a liner at sea.
The concept was hit upon after Norddeutscher Lloyd (NDL) had carried a Junkers F.13 seaplane aboard the Lutzow during 1927 to provide joyrides for passengers when the liner was in port. NDL officials realised that a seaplane based on a liner could have a more practical commercial application, taking off with the liner’s airmail while still a long distance from port, therefore drastically cutting down time taken for the mail to arrive. Heinkel designed a catapult, which NDL planned to install on its new liners, the Bremen and Europa, and an aircraft to carry the mail. Since the crew of Lutzow had trouble providing the necessary maintenance for the F 13, Deutsche Luft Hansa agreed to provide the operational support for the venture, and when Bremen departed on her maiden voyage in 1929, a single HE 12 (D-1717) was carried aboard.
With the catapult the aircraft took-off at 110 kph / 69 mph at the nd of a ramp 20 m / 65 ft long.
The HE 12 was a derivative of the military HE 9 design; a conventional, low-wing, strut-braced monoplane. The pilot and radio operator sat in tandem, open cockpits with the mail carried in a compartment behind them.
On 22 July, while still 400 km (250 mi) out of New York City, Bremen successfully launched the HE 12. When the seaplane was unloaded 2+1⁄2 hours later, mail from Berlin had taken just 6+1⁄2 days to reach New York. The next day, in front of a crowd of 3,500 people, mayor Jimmy Walker christened the HE 12 with the name of the city. On the return journey, the newly christened New York launched from Bremen near Cherbourg on 1 August, landing in Bremerhaven four hours later, in time for the mail to be transferred to another aircraft and arrive in Berlin the same afternoon, 5+1⁄2 days after leaving New York. Use of the seaplane saved around 20 hours on the westward trip, and 1–2 days on the eastward journey.
HE 12 (D-1717, New York) flew regularly from Bremen until severely damaged in an accident at Cobequid Bay on 5 October 1931.
Engine: Pratt & Whitney Hornet, 450 hp
Wingspan: 16.7958 m (55 ft 1.25 in)
Wing area: 48.46 sq.m (522 sq ft)
Length: 11.56 m
Height: 4.60 m (15 ft 1 in)
Empty weight: 1580 kg (3,483 lb)
Normal take-off weight: 2600 kg (5,732 lb)
Payload: 200 kg mail
Maximum speed: 216 km/h
Cruise: 192 km/h (119 mph, 103 kn)
Range: 1600 km
Service ceiling: 3,800 m (12,500 ft)
Crew: 2
The He 8 floatplane, a development from the He 4 and 5, appeared in the autumn of 1927.
A single-engined seaplane with three seats inline in separated open cockpits. A low wing monoplane, braced underwing with by 4 pairs of masts in N configuration uniting the two floats in the catamaran and the base of the fuselage. The cantilever horizontal stabilizer was on the back of the fuselage. Construction was wood and fabric for the aerofoil, wood and plywood for the fuselage.
Powered was a 335kW / 450 hp Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar radial engine.
Twenty two were ordered by the Danish naval flying corps, 16 of which were built in Denmark under the designation H.M.II. They were mainly used for reconnaissance and survey work as far north as Greenland. Some served until 1940. Maximum level speed was 218km/h. Armament comprised a rear-mounted machine-gun.
Total production: 22
Engine Armstrong Jaguar IV 420 hp
Propeller: two-bladed wooden fixed pitch
Wingspan: 16,80 m / 55 ft 1.5 in
Length: 11,50 m / 37 ft 8.3 in
Height: 3,90 m
Wing area: 49 sq.m
Empty weight: 1500 kg
MTOW: 2325 kg / 5126 1b
Wingg loading: 47,5 kg.sq.m
Power loading: 5,476 kg/hp
Max speed: 210 kph
Ceiling: 6000 m
Range: 800 km
Armament: 1 Madsen 7,7 mm
The He 14 biplane designed as a torpedo carrier in 1925 had proved unsuccessful, for the lack of a suit-able powerplant, but in 1927 a three seat monoplane development appeared as the He 7. Powered by a 450 hp Bristol Jupiter VI engine, it showed more promise than its precursor. Production He 7s had three sep¬arate cockpits.
